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QPR vs Aston Villa: Paul Lambert claims he's not concerned with lack of goals and blames poor defending for Rangers defeat

Villa have not scored in nearly nine hours of football and were worryingly outplayed by a battling QPR side

Mark Bryans
Tuesday 28 October 2014 09:45 GMT
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Roy Keane and Paul Lambert look on from the Loftus Road dugout
Roy Keane and Paul Lambert look on from the Loftus Road dugout

Paul Lambert is not losing any sleep over the collective lack of goals from his team and insists he boasts enough striking talent to turn things around.

The Aston Villa boss saw his side slip to a 2-0 reverse at QPR on Monday evening, a fifth straight Barclays Premier League defeat.

That statistic alone will be galling for Villa fans but the fact they have not seen their side score a goal in nearly nine hours will be of equal concern.

A brace from QPR's own frontman Charlie Austin settled this unspectacular affair as the 25-year-old struck in either half to move Rangers off the foot of the table and take a little pressure off his manager Harry Redknapp.

Having come up short against Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Everton, with an aggregate score of 11-0, Lambert would have wanted to see Villa return to winning ways at Loftus Road.

As well as their inability to handle Austin and his strike partner Bobby Zamora, the Scot had to once again sit through an entire 90 minutes where his attacking players looked unlikely to break their duck.

But, with Christian Benteke still working his way back to fitness following a prolonged injury lay-off, Lambert believes his Belgian striker - as well as the rest of his forward line - will soon show what they are made of.

"I tend not to get them down on that," he said of his forward players' lack of goals.

Benteke made his second appearance since returning from a serious knee injury

"They will come out of the traps on Sunday (against Tottenham) and I know we are going to be alright in that department because when Benteke gets up to speed and, with (Gabriel) Agbonlahor, (Andreas) Weimann, (Charles) N'Zogbia and (Darren) Bent, there are guys there with goals in them and it will happen.

"My main concern was we had that much of the ball that we had to score with it, but you have to defend when you are on top.

"Benteke's injury was really severe and that was only his second game. It is a long time out and he might take six or seven games to get up to speed. There are signs that he is getting there."

Redknapp has not exactly seen the goals pouring in for his side this season but, with Austin's two, he will be pleased that he is beginning to form a strong understanding with Zamora.

"(There were) two great finishes for Charlie," he told Sky Sports 1.

"I couldn't be more pleased, he is a smashing lad, (an) absolute fantastic boy.

"He's come out (of) the non-league scene, played down at Poole Town and Hungerford and God knows where he's been around the lower divisions, and to be scoring goals in the Premier League is great for him.

"There's no reason why he can't go on and get a really good tally of goals this year."

PA

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